Metal wall building construction



Aug. 1936- G. v. PALMER METAL WALL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. e, 1953 5 Sheets-She d 1 IN VEN TOR.

r e w 1.. H m t A w W Y 68 M w a 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Ct; Palmer ATTO EYS.

G. V. PALMER Filed S ept, 1933 Aug. 4, 1936.

METAL WALL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Aug. 4, 1936. a. v. PALMER METAL WALL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Fild Sept. 6 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 4, 1936.

a. v. PALMER- METAL WALL BUILDING CONSTRUCT ON Filed Sept. 6, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 e law/MR Gear G. V. PALMER METAL WALL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 6, 193;

Aug. 4, 1936.

- nvvnvroa G eorye Vince!!! Palmer:

[0.1% Arrozuv .5

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 PATENT OFFICE METAL WALL nmnmo CONSTRUCTION George Vincent Pahner, Los Angeles, Calif., as-

signor to Palmer Steel Buildings, Incorporated, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application September 6, 1933, Serial No. 688,307

17 Claims.

. preformed metal wall elements brought together in an advantageous relationship.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a construction employing preformed. structural metal shapes in a building construction whereby, a highly advantageous structure from the standpoint of cost, strength and appearance, and ease of assembly, is obtained, which is weather-tight; insect-proof and resistant to damage by the elements or by animal or vegetabl agencies.

The present invention involves the use of structural shapes which are commercially available or may be readily produced at low cost, and which may be assembled in a novel and advantageous manner to form walls and wall sections as well as to provide a complete building structure, and also involves certain advantageous means whereby correlated structural elements may be secured to such walls or wall surfaces. Structural shapes such as shown and described in U. S. Patent No.

0 1,867,433, issued to J. H. Young, July 12, 1932,

may be used to good advantage for the purposes I of this invention, but it. will be understood that other types of preformed metal wall elements, examples of which are described hereinafter, may also be used.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a building construction in which a plurality of cellular metal structural elements are assembled to form a unitary wall structure, either with or'without the use of non-cellular wall elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a composite metal wall structure formed of a plurality of preformed metal structural shapes in which the necessary load-bearing strength is provided by structural shapes having one or more hollow cellular members closed in crosssection and-other portions of said structure are provided with spacing or filler elements interlocked with the load-bearing elements whereby a composite wall structure having the desired loadbearing properties is obtained atga. low cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. building construction in which certain loadbearing portions thereof are provided by cellular through the use of preformed metal elements having a cellular structure and provided with suitable perforations through which reinforcing mediums such as steel rods, concrete, or the like may be passed in a load-bearing relation to impart load-sustaining characteristics to such elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a building construction in which one or more perforated cellular wall elements are associated in alined relationship and interlocked in loadtransmitting relation through the agency of reinforcing members extending through the perforations in said elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cellular metal wall construction having means for circulation of air within the wall structure for cooling or ventilating the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metal wall construction formed of one or more cellular preformed metal elements to which suitable reinforcing elements may be secured for the purpose'of providing structural attachment between such wall structure and other contiguous building structures, for example, in the attachment of a ceiling or floor structure. to a wall structure.

The construction of the present invention contemplates the use of structuralelements formed of sheet steel or other metal, and consisting generally of flat plates provided or not with one'or more hollow cells secured thereto and extending longitudinally thereof, said flat plate portions of the structural elements being preferably provided at their longitudinal edges with overlapping portions, whereby two or more of said elements may be assembled in a plane. The overlapping portions may, if desired, be so formed'as to interlock with one another so as to form, when so assembled, a substantially continuous weatherresistant structural wall of high load-carrying and stress-resisting capacity. In the forming of a wall through the use of structural elements of the character above-described, the several elements are preferably disposed in an alined vertical relation and the upper ends of the several elements securely fastened as by welding or otherwise to a suitable transverse load-distributing member and the lower ends secured in a suitable manner to a structural member extending along the horizontal length ofsuch wall.

The above-mentioned structural elements are preferably provided, particularly where such elements are to be used inload-bearing relation, with longitudinally extending hollow cells which are substantially closed in cross-section whereby a rigid column construction is obtained, and the preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates the provision of suitable perforations in the side walls of these cellular portions of the elements through which a suitable reinforcing medium may be extended, or through which service conduits or the like may be passed substantially horizontally through and in the plane of the wall. The invention also contemplates a construction in which the aforementioned hollow cells are provided with suitable perforations in their walls through which air may be drawn from points exterior of the wall structure and circulated vertically through the cells and transversely from one cell to another.

The invention also contemplates the provision of suitable perforations in the side walls of the aforementioned hollow cells through which a suitable reinforcing medium may be extendedin load-transmitting relation to the wall element whereby conjunctive structural elements of the building such as a floor or any other divergent structural element maybe interlocked with such wall structure.

The attached drawings show various features of the present invention, together with important modifications thereof, and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a composite metal wall of the present invention, showing the use of several different types of wall elements;

Fig.2 is a horizontal sectional view of several types of wall elements, showing a manner of assembling the same into a unitary wall structure;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, showing a combination of single cell elements with plane spacing or filler elements;

Figs. 4, 5', and 6 show various forms ofcomer construction according to the present invention in which joining wall structures are inter-sec as by means of welding or the like.

188. .7, 8, 8a, and 9 show alternative corner constructions in which joining wall structures are inter-secured through the agency of reinforcing, members;

" Fig. 10 is an isometric elevation showing the attachment of surface coating material to a wall structure according to the present'invention;

Fig. 11 is a'sectional view thereof taken on line II--II in Fig.10;

Fig. 12 is an isometric view a metal structural element according to the present invention provided with suitable perforations to facilitate circulatory air movement within the celmasonry structural member may be secured to a wall section in load-bearing relation and also shows means whereby a ,wall section may be ventilated by air circulation within the wall.

Fig. 16 shows an arrangement whereby wall elements may be joined to a masonry collnnn or the like in stress-commimicating-relatimi thereto and alsoshowingthe manner inwhichawindowlintel 'ticular requirements of the installation.

maybe formed and service conduits extended through the several wall elements;

Fig. 17 is a view corresponding generally to Fig. 16 showing an altemative method for securing the metal wall sections to a masonry structure in stress-transmitting relation; I

Fig. 18 is an isometric view of a building con- Y struction, showing the-manner in which constructional features of this invention may be associated. i

. Referring to the drawings. Figs. 1 to 3 show the general construction of the preformed metal wall elements and the manner in which said elements may be disposed in contiguous alined relationship to form an extended wall structure.

In Fig. 1 I have shown three types of cellular as by welding, a bent plate I4 is provided at one side of the plate, forming a channel of U or V shape and defining with the plate a hollow cell C 25 of closed cross section having the cross-sectional shape of a symmetrical trapezium, the forward and rearward parallel walls of said trapezium being defined, respectively, by the plate II and the portion ll of the bent plate I4, and the non- 9 parallel side walls of the trapezium being defined ing the female interlocking member I3, but it will be'appreciated that a similar form of ele-' ment may be provided in' which the cell C extends along the edge of the plate having the male interlocking member I2, according to the par- If desired, the plate II may be reduced in width, so as to provide a single cell element .in which the cell occupies substantially'the full width of the plate.

The form ,of wall element shown at 2 differs from the form shown at- I in having two-adjacent cells C preferably formed from a single sheet Ila and each comparable to the cell shown in connection with the element I. This latter form of element is structurally more rigid than the element I due to the provision of two adjacent cells and is particularly useful where the wall section is to be subjected to considerable vertical load, as hereinafter described. The section I is comparable to the section I in that it is provided with a single cell C of less width than the plate but, this cell is showndisposed substantially medially of the plate II instead of adjacent one edge thereof.

Under some conditions I have found it preferable to space the load-bearing wall elements, such as the elements I, 2 or 3 with one or more spacing. or filler elements such as shown atI5, to-obtain an extended wall structure of low cost and to provide for recesses, reveals, corner assemblies or the like, it being understood'that cellular elements of the proper cross-sectional shape will be provided in thewall structure at such points as are subjected to vertical loads' exceeding the load sustaining capability of the filler elements I5. 7

In Fig. 2 Ihave shown several alternative forms "of wall elements which differ in cross-sectional shape from those shown in Fig. 1. elements 7 shown at I may be formed of two bent plates It 7 and H providing cells C1 which are of relatively great transverse depth. This type of element is particularly adaptable where a heavy wall section or a relatively thicker wall is desirable, and in conjunction with other structural elements to form arches, reveals or the like. The type of element shown at 5 is quite comparable to that shown at 4 but is shown as provided with cells C2 of relatively small transverse depth. "The type of element shown at 6 is a modification in which the cells C3 are distorted to provide a modified cross-sectional area. ments are shown as assembled in a composite wall structure together with an element of the type shown at 2 and with flat plates I 5, all of said elements being provided with interlocking means 12 and H whereby said elements are assembled to form the composite structure. It will be appreciated that in any of the hereinafter described wall structures, individual wall.

elements of the desired cross-sectional configuration will beselected according to the load sustaining or other requirements of various portions of the wall structure.

Fig. 3 shows a light-weight wall structure provided through the use of cellular Wall elements such as shown at I, 2 and 3 assembled in spaced relation through the agency of intermediate flat plates l5.

Throughout the present specification and claims, wherein the side walls of the cells are mentioned, particularly in connection with perforations therein as will be subsequently described, it will be understood that these side walls refer to side walls such as are designated at M" in connection with the form of wall element shown at 2, irrespective of whether the element in question he of the type shown at I, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.

In the above figures, the side walls of the several hollow'cells are shown as provided with perforations l8 spaced at intervals along the length thereof through which a reinforcing medium may a wall 2| meeting a wall 22, the end element of the wall 2| comprising a fiat plate element l5 and the end element of the wall 22 comprising a cellular wall element 2. The two wall structures are brought into their correct relation and may be welded'together as shown at 23 or otherwise secured to-provide a unitary construction. In Fig.

- 5 I have shown a wall 24, having an edge element of the general type shown at intersecting a wall 25 formed of a plurality of elements of the type shown at 2 and secured thereto by welding as at 26 or in any other suitable manner. In Fig.

'6 I have shown a method in which the construction shown in Fig. 4 may be modified so'that the wall 2| may be made to extend both sides of the wall 22, by welding the element 2 of the wall 22 to the plate l5 as at 21 or by securing the same in any other suitable manner in position to permit interlocking, through the'agency of-the means l2 and I3, of a suitable element such as Y of the type shown at 2 to the plate I 5 adjacent the junction of the walls 2| and 22.-

In Figs. 7, 8, 8a and 9 I have shown certain wall junctions in which the walls are joined through the agency of reinforcing members ex- The above-described eleparable to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 above-described and,

referring particularly to Fig. '7, the plate I 5 is provided with a suitable aperture 28 in line with the perforations IS in the cell side walls M" of the element 2 and a bolt 29 is passed through thealined perforations and secured as by means of nut 39 to securely position the joining walls 2| and 22. In a construction of this general type, I prefer to have the bolt 29 of such size as to fit quite snugly within the openings l8 and 28, so that a minimum of side-play is permitted. Furthermore, I prefer to use a wedge-shaped washer or the like, 30a. adjacent thenut 30 whereby said nut may be properly tightened against the inclined side wall I4"-. I

In Fig. 8 I have shown the wall 24 secured to the wall 25 through the agency of a reinforcing rod 3| extending through the perforations |8.in'

the opposing cells of the adjoining elements '2 and through a suitably positioned aperture 32 in the edge element of the wall 24. Concrete or other suitable material may be poured into the opposing cells of the wall 25 as at 33 and in the space therebetween as at 33', embedding the rod 3| und the adjacent portion of the plate H of the edge element of the wall 24, suitable forms being provided as at 34 if desired during the pouring of the concrete. This construction provides a mechanical interlock of joining walls, of very high structural strength and load-bearing stresscommunication characteristics.

Fig, 8w shows a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 8, wherein a; wall 53 provided with an element 2 at its end, is joined to a wall 54 which may be formed of one 'or more elements 2 having an element of the type shown at positioned at the junction of the two walls. In this construction, suitable apertures or perforations are provided in the forward and rearward cell walls, as at 55 and 56, respectively, in line with the openings l8 in the cells of the elements forming the wall 54, and a suitable reinforcing rod or the like 57 is extended through the aligned openings. Concrete or other suitable masonry is then poured into the adjacent cells,

as at 58, and into the junction area as at 58a, suitable forms being provided as shown in dotted lines at 59 until the masonry has solidified.

' In Fig. 9, the walls 22 and 2| are secured,

in the manner shown in Fig. '7, and if desired this construction may be made stronger by disposing a form in some such position as shown in dotted lines at 34' and pouring concrete or other material into the space 35 and the end cell 36 of the wall 22. It will be appreciated that this same reinforced construction may be provided for the arrangement shown in Fig. 7 if desired.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a method whereby surfacing materials such as plaster or stucco may be attached to the elements forming a wall structure, and referring thereto, a wall element of the type shown at 2 may be provided with a plurality of perforations 31 extending through the plate into the cells C, and a plurality of perforations 38 in the rearward cell surface i4. Either' a plastering material such as an emulsified plastic composition, of suitable nature, in which use the surfacing material will be locked to the plate by extending through the perforations 31 as shown 5 at 31a. The cell side of the wall structures may be provided with a surface coating by attaching metal lath or the like 4| thereto through the agency of suitable fastening means such as, for example, spring-wire staples as shown at 42, ex-

' tending through the perforations 3B- and engag- V button-lath may be secured to either the plate or cell side of the wall elements as by means of 20 suitable nails such as the so-called concrete stub-nails" which are sturdy enough to be driven through the metal forming the cell wallor the plate I l, and plaster may then be applied directly to the plaster-supporting material.

Fig. 12 shows a typical wall element of the type shown at 2, provided with one or more hollow cellsC, and formed into, a wall structure in which the lower end of the wall element is suitably secured to a supporting member such as a masonry 30 structure 45 and preferably embeddedtherein. The form of wall element shown is provided with a plurality of openings It in the cell side walls and the forward surface defined by the plate of the element 2- is shown as provided with an- 5 exterior coating of-suitable material as at n and an interior surface coating 48. An opening 41 is provided adjacent the lower end of cell C extending through the plate ii and the coating 44,

- by means of a nipple 41a or the like, for admis- 40 sion of atmospheric air to said cell. This construction provides for admission of circulating air 1 which, if the wall structure be heated by exposure to sunlight orthe like, will pass upwardly through the flues afforded by the several cells C and thus 45 establish circulation'by convection, suitable apertures being provided at some point adjacent the upper end of the wall element for exit of the cir-. culatory air. In this figure the several arrows indicate the air circulation and it will be seen that '50 cross-circulation will beprovided through the openings l8, from the cells C to the-spaces C between the cells, so that upward circulation of air v is provided in both said cells .and said spaces.

In Figs. 13 and 14 I have shown a method for 55 securing a beam or other transverse structural member to a wall structure containing one or more cellular wall elements, wherein a wall element of the type shown at 2 and provided with two cells C having suitable perforations l8 in the 50 side walls thereof,i'spreferably employed. Asuitable reinforcing rod or the like 4| is 1 In Fig. 14 I have shown the space 63 filled with 7 concrete or other suitable masonry as at 65,

whereby a positive interlock is obtained between the beam and the wall structure. Concrete may also be poured in the adjacent cells C to increase the interlock and load distributing ability of the 7 juncture.- Inthiscase therodfl issecurelypositioned against lateral movement, and the beam and concrete block 65 are held immovable in position. It will be understood that a suitable form may be provided along the open side of the space 63 to facilitate the formation of the block 65. 5 This block 65 may be extended downwardly along 'the element 2 to any desired distance and as many rods as are required may be used to tie the block to the wall element. The blocks may, if desired, be extended downwardly into engagement with a suitable foundation member or the like so that the vertical load imposed by the beam 62 will be communicated to such foundation structure through the concrete columnthus provided as well as through the adjacent wall elements. 15 In Fig. 15 I have shown a construction in which a floor, ceiling or other transverse slab member may be secured to a wall structure 48 provided with one or more metal wall elements having hollow cells C. Inthis figure I have also shown v a wall ventilating construction in. which the perforations l {in the cell side walls are utilized afterthe manner shown in Fig. 12. The transverse slab member is shown particularly as a floor member, but it will be appreciated that this construction is equally applicable to a ceiling construction or the like. The wall 48 may be assembled of one or more sections of the type shown at 2 or of any of the other types above described, 4 having hollow cellssuch as C provided with side wall perforations It, anda rod or pipe 66 is passed through a horizontal series of such perforations and a plurality of reinforcing rods 61 are laidin position bearing on said member 66 and the concrete slab 68 cast in position embedding said rods. v The concrete slab will thus surround the side walls of the cells C and will extend into the spaces intermediate adjacent cells. The lower ends of the elements 2 maybe suitably secured to a foundation or other member as at 49. This construc- 40 .-tion provides a simple method whereby a floor slab or the like may be securely interlocked with the wallstructure in such manner as to transmit applied in any direction. It will be appreciated that-the forms which are utilized for casting the-slab 68 may be disposed at substantially any desired vertical angle'with respect to the plane of the wall as defined by the elements 2, and thus this; construction is applicable in the formation of roofs or other inclined structures.

when it is desired to use the cells C for circulation of air within the wall body, suitable perforations may be provided in the exterior wall of these cells after= the mannerv shown at 41 in Fig.

'12, or, if the slab it is positioned sufficiently above. the foundation member to expose a lower series of perforations Ila, circulatory air may be drawn frombelow the slab 68 and upwardly into the cells C and thence outw dlythro'ugh suitable apertures adjacent the upper edge of the wall 48. If plaster or other suitabie wall coating material is along the inner face of the wall 48 for example as shown at ii, the space between adjacent cells C,will be closed to define anadditional cell C and air will be circulated 05. into thiscell C through an upper series of perforations llb above the slab 48. It will be appreelated that suitable means will be provided whereby free access of air to the space below the slab 6| will be had ifa constructionof this type is 70 employed.

mm. 16 I have shown a construction in which a plurality of wall elements! are secured in loadtransmitting relation through the agency of a combinedreinforcing rod and masonry construction. In this figure I have shown three wall sections, 2a, 2b and 2c, the elements 2a and 2b being interlocked through the above-described male and female locking means along the adjacent edges as at H, and the elements 21) and 20 separated by a masonry structure such as a chimney or the like 12. The element 2a. represents one which has been shortened orcut away to provide a window lintel while the sections 21) and 20 may be considered to extend'downwardly to a suitable foundation member. In order to provide for full transmission of loads from one ele-. ment to another, one or more reinforcing rods I3 may be passed through suitable perforations l8, such as above described, in the side walls of the cell portions of the elements 2 and the respective cells filled with concrete or other comparable material as at 10. If desired, before the pouring of the concrete, a series of the perforations l8 may be utilized for carrying a service conduit or the like 14 longitudinally of the plane of the wall structure and transverse to thecells thereof, as shown. The rods 13 may be passed through the masonry structure I2 so that the wall becomes in effect a unitary structure and the masonry structure is tied into the wall. In this use it will be found advantageous to provide a suitable plate or the like such as an angle-iron I5 extending along the upper edge portions of the respective wall elements as shown, to which the said elements may be secured in some suitable manner, as by welding at 18.

Under some conditions the cells C will not require a masonry filling, particularly if the vertical load to be sustained by such wall structure is relatively low, in which case, as shown in Fig. 17, the load-transmitting feature is obtained merely by passing the reinforcing rods 13 through the perforations l8 and through the masonry member H2, or bolts 11 employed which may be tightened to position the same and to contribute to the lateral rigidity of the structure.

In Fig. 18 I have shown an isometric view which may represent a portion of a building structure in which many of the related features of the present invention are combined in a. single showing. The numeral designates a. wall meeting a wall 8| to form a re-entrant angle, and a wall 82 is shown as meeting the wall 8| after the manner of a partition or the like separating adjacent rooms. The junction of the walls 80 and 8| is shown as provided with a masonry reinforcementas at 83 suitably secured to the joining wall elements, after the manner described in my co-pending application for patent on Metal wall building construction executed of even dateherewith, and the walls 8| and 82 are shown asjoined after themanner shown in Fig. 8a of the present application. The walls 80, 8| and 82 are shown as extending below the floor line as defined by the concrete floor slabs 84, 85 and 86 and suitably secured to a masonry foundation member 81. At the left-hand side of the figure I have shown a roof truss or the like 88 mounted at the upper end of the wall 80 and supported on an angle member 89 extending along the upper edge of the wall 80 after the manner of the angle-iron member 15 shown in Fig. 16 and a similar member 89 is provided for the wall 8|, extending along the upper edge thereof. It

will be appreciated that this roof truss may be secured to the wall after the manner shown in Fig. 13 or Fig. 14 if so desired.

The walls 88, 8| and 82 are shown as formed principally of metal elements of the type shown at 2 spaced with filler elements l5. At 8| I have shown a masonry column, such as a brick chimney or the like positioned in the wall 8| and secured in stress-communicating relation thereto through the agency of rods 92 extending through a plurality of perforations in the side walls of the respective cells C of the adjacent wall elements 2, after the manner shown in Fig. 16, the respective cells through which the rods 92 extend being filled with concrete or other suitable masonry, as shown' at 82', so as to tie the rods 92 to said cells.

At the left of the masonry member 9| I have shown a'window 93, the frame of which may be fitted between and suitably secured to the edge portions of adjacent wall elements 2. A suitable window lintel construction is provided by a plurality of shortened wall elements 2a supported with respect to the adjacent wall elements through the agency of a plurality of rods 94 extending through the above-mentioned alined perforations in the cell side walls after the manner shown in Fig. 16. The several cells through which the rods 94 extend are filled with concrete or other suitable masonry as shown at 94', if desired, so as to provide a unitary wall construction of the desired strength. Immediately below the window 93 the wall elements may consist of flatplates Na, in view of the'fact that no substantial load conditions exist below such a window construction.

The floor slabs 84, 85 and 86 may be secured to the wall elements after the manner shown in Fig. 15 if desired, through the agency of rods or the like!!! and extending through a suit-v able number of the side wall perforations, upon which may be placed the reinforcing members 91 and 98 and the respective concrete slabs cast thereabout. It will be .understood that in most cases a suitable interior coating such as plaster will be provided for the inner surfaces of the various walls as at 99, after the manner shown in Figs. 10 and 11 or in any other desired manner.

Air circulation may be obtained through the wall structure, as described in connection with Fig. 15, if desired, and'in this connection, the

wall 88, which is formed principally of a plurality of wallelements of the type shown at 2, may take in circulation air through any one or any number of the perforations l8 which are disposed belowthe slab 84, and this air will pass upwardly through the respective cells C until above said slab, afterwhich it will crosscirculate into the spaces C' between such cells. 'The member 89 is shown of somewhat less transverse width than the wallelements so that the circulation air may exit from the wall space at the upper ends of the several wall elements, for example through the spaces IM sand ")2 thus provided at the upper ends of cells C and spaces C- respectively, and thus escape into the roof area.

The above-described forms of building con-' struction are of high structural strength, as will be appreciated by one familiar with the art, and

may be obtained at a relatively reasonable cost. It will be seen that a particularly weather-proof and vermin-proof construction is obtained, both due to the character of the construction mate- 7 from the standpoint of facilitating the employment of reinforcing media, and from the stand- 75 point of providing for extension of service con,- duits along the walls in the manner described. Numerous modifications of the specific structures herein shown will immediately suggest themselves to one familiar with the art, and the present invention is not to be considered as limited to the present specific disclosure, but rather to the scope defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 10 1. In a building construction, a metal wal comprising a plurality of vertical preformed metal wall elements disposed substantially in a vertical plane, at least one of said elements being provided with one or more hollow cells of closed cross section extending substantially the entire length thereof, and said wall including at least two of said hollow cells spaced from one another and each having alined perforations extending through the side walls of said cells transversely of the length thereof, a transverse reinforcing member extending through said perforationsand through said two hollow cells and the space therebetween and supported on each of the side walls of said two hollow cells, and a structural member meeting said plane and having a portion extending within said spacebetween said two hollow cells and engaging said reinforcing member in load-transmitting relation thereto.

2. The construction set forth in claim '1, and

comprising in addition: a masonry member disposed within said two cells and the spacertherebetween, and surrounding said reinforcing member and said extending portion of said structural. member.

3. In a building construction, a metal wall comprising a plurality of vertical preformed metal wall elements disposed in contiguous alined relationship in a substantially vertical 4 plane, certain of said elements being provided with one or more hollow cells of closed cross .section extending substantially the entire length thereof and provided with perforations extending through the side walls thereof ina direction transverse to the length of said cells, and a reinforcing member disposed in said perforations and extending through adiacent hollow cells in.

two or more separate wall elements.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3 and comprising in addition, means securing saidreinforcing member in position in said--perforations.

5. The invention set forth in claim 3, said hollow cells being filled with a structural material positioned tosurround said reinforcin member and position the same.

6.-The invention set forth in claim 3, the

perforations inthe side walls of said hollow cells being positioned in longitudinal alinement with one another in a direction substantially parallel to said plane.

'7. A metal wall building construction comprising two meeting walls each formed of a plurality of preformed metal wall elements disposed in contiguous alined relationship to form a wall, one of said walls being provided with a wall element having a longitudinally extending hollow cell at a position adjacent the junction of said walls and the other of said walls being 7 provided with a wall element having a flat plate portion disposed at the Junction of said meeting walls, said flat plate portion providing a space at the junction of said walls of sufilcient width to receive said cell of theilrst-n'amed wall, and

7 means securing said first-named wall to said portion of said reinforcing member.

flat plate portion of said element of said second-named wall.

8. The construction set forth in claim-'7, the side walls of the hollow cell of said first-named wall adjacent the junction of said two walls be- 5 ing provided with one or more transverse per- 1 forations and said flat plate portion of said second-named wall being provided with one or more perforations in alinementwith said firstnamed perforations, andcomprising in addition, 10 a reinforcing member extending through said alined perforations in engagement with both of said walls.

9. The construction set forth in claim 7, the

side walls of the-hollow cell of said first-named 15 wall adjacent the junction of said two walls being provided with one or more transverse perforations and said fiat plate portion of said second-named wall being provided with oneor more perforations in alinement wlthsaid first- 20 named perforations, and comprising in addition, a reinforcing member extending through said alined perforations in engagement with both of said walls, and a masonry member disposed within said adjacent hollow cell and with said 25 cell-receiving space provided by said flat plate portion.

10. A building construction comprising two meeting walls each formed of a plurality of preformed metal wall elements disposed in contiguous alined relationship to form a wall, one of said meeting walls being formed of wall elements provided with longitudinally extending hollow cells and the other of said meeting walls being formed of wall elements provided with 35 1 one or more perforations in alinement with said first-named perforations, and a reinforcing 5 member extending through said alined perforations in engagement with both of said walls.

11. The construction set forth-in claim 10, and comprising in addition; a masonry member disposed within'said adjacent hollow cell and with- 55 in said cell-receiving space provided by said'flat plate portion in position to surround at least a 12; In a building construction, a metal w comprising a plurality of preformed metal wall 56 elements disposed in contiguous alined relationship, certain of said elements being provided -with one or more hollow cells of closed crosssection extending substantially the entire length thereof, a' structural' member extending along 05 and secured to the upper ends of said elements in load distributing relation thereto, means supporting the lower ends of said elements and 0108- ing said hollow cells, said cells having forward and rearward wall portionsextending respec- "(o tively in separated parallel planes at opposite sides of said wall, a'layer of wall sumfoe material 'disposed in one of said separated parallel planes at one side of the wall and defining ad- 1 ditional hollow cells of closed cross-section with the walls of said first-mentioned hollow cells, at

least someof said elements being provided with a perforation in the wallportion thereof in one of said separated parallel planes for circulation of air between the exterior of said wall and the interior of at least some of said first-mentioned hollow cells, and the walls of said first-mentioned cells'being provided with perforations providing lateral communication between said first-mentioned and said additional hollow cells.

13. The invention set forth in claim 12, at least some of said first-mentioned and said additional hollow cells being open at their upper ends adjacent said structural member.

14. In a. building construction, a metal wall comprising: a plurality of preformed metal wall elements disposed in contiguous alined relationship, certain of said elements being provided with one or more hollow cells of closed crosssection extending substantially the entire length thereof; a structural member extending along and secured to the upper ends of said elements in load distributing relation thereto; means supporting the lower ends of said elements and closing said hollow cells; a masonry member meeting the plane of said wall at a level above said lower ends, said cells having forward and rearward wall portions extending respectively in separated parallel planes at opposite sides of said wall and said masonry member extending between said hollow cells; a layer of wall surface material disposed in one of said separatedparallel planes atone side of the wall and defining additional'hollow cells of closed cross-section with the walls of first-mentioned hollow cells,

' said additional hollow cells extending upwardly from said masonry member, at least some of said elements being'provided with a. perforation in the wall portion thereof below said masonry 40 member for circulation of air to the interior of said first-mentioned hollow cells and the walls of said first-mentioned cells being provided with perforations above said masonry member providing lateral communication between firstmentioned cells, and said additional cells.

15. In a building construction, a metal wall comprising a plurality of vertical preformed metal wall elements disposed substantially in a vertical plane, a vertically extending masonry member located in the plane of said wall and positioned intermediate the longitudinal length thereof, at least one of said elements at each longitudinal side of said masonry member being provided with one or more hollow cells of closed cross-section extending substantially the vertical length thereof and having .a plurality of alined perforations extending through the side walls of said cells transversely of the vertical length thereof, the perforations in the hollow cells at each longitudinal side of said masonry member being in substantial alinement with one another, a transverse reinforcing member extending longitudinally through said masonry member and through a group of said alined perforations, and means securing said transverse reinforcing member in position within said perforations.

16. The invention last-named means including a masonry member disposed within one or more of said hollow cells and engaging such portion of said transverse reinforcing member as lies within said last-mentioned one or more hollow cells.

,17. The invention set forth in claim 15, at least one of said hollow cells at each longitudinal sideof said masonry member being provided with a masonry member e said re.- inforcing member to position the same with re-' spect to said at least one hollow cell.

GEORGE VINCENT PALMER.

set forth in claim 15, said v 

